Reactions

There is a basic law in physics: "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction". Craft is subject to the laws of physics. The craft version of the law goes something like this: "Every craft action has at least one equally expensive and time consuming reaction".

Here's today's example:

I am teaching a Patchwork by Machine class (action);

• the class requires a set of rulers, cutters and mats (reaction);
• the rulers cutters and mats must be transported to and from the class (reaction)
• a bag is required to transport this equipment conveniently and attractively (reaction)
• a quilted carry bag would do the job and demonstrate another use for the patchwork techniques taught in class ( reaction)

. . . . so, I'm making a bag to carry the equipment to and from class! I just happened to have some fabric with pictures of sewing equipment and the words, "ruler, scissors" printed on it. The bag is done, complete with a set of pockets on the inside to hold the rotary cutters out of harms way. Now to add handles and clear my workspace for the next project.

Wall of Colour

I dropped in to the local hardware shop a couple of days ago. I'm gradually collecting the makings of a Japanese braiding stool for Kumihimo. I managed to find a set of circular hole saws, which I'm hoping will work for the central hole in the stool. Before I can try them out I need to remember where I put the wooden plate, which I've allocated for the project--things are still somewhat disorganised around here.

While I was there I stopped to pick up some paint chips: I have a collection which I use to demonstrate and experiment with colour matching. Who could resist this array: Interestingly, despite the wide variety of colours avalable, I struggled to put together a simple colour wheel of primary and secondary colours. A lot of the shades are muted and there are lots and lots of neutrals. But I did head out with a handful of colour to add to my collection.

No.2 Dog

Yesterday it was the turn of No. 2 Dog to provide the image of relaxed contentment while I did my spinning: My two dogs take turns at enjoying this cushion in the front window--though the bigger of the two always gets his own way if he wants to be there--occasionally they share.

Meanwhile, I've moved on to spinning kid mohair tops, fine, for the next stage in my folio presentation. Today's the day to finish up anything I want to hand in before the assesssment and Exhibition. I'm trying to take a leaf out of my dogs' books and relax about the fact that it won't be complete. I have to confess, I'm not as good at relaxing as they are.

Swedish Beauty

I couldn't stop myself exclaiming out loud when my students unpacked their sewing machines last night. Due to a series of circumstances, the machines hadn't made an appearance last week, but this week they were in full swing.

This is an original Husqvarna machine--35 years old; beautifully kept with all of its special cams in their special racks. I just had to give it a little pat and take its photo to share. Oh, it is a beautiful thing!

The Story Continues

Here's the latest instalment in the the story of my Feather and Fan Scarf:It's in one piece!

I sat down and did the grafting this morning. I did take several breaks to breathe and stretch the crick in my neck. The good news is that I managed to get into a rhythm and tune in to the stitches I was making so I knew where I was. Getting the tension right is still a challenge, but that's OK. Now, as soon as I've finished washing up, I'll give it a good soak in some warm water--that should help everything to relax and ease into place. Then it will be time to find a clear space big enough to block it out.

The Bigger Picture

Here's the sample I grafted yesterday, blocked and almost ready to go into my folio--I do need to weave in those loose ends--along with some seascape inspiration pics that I got off the internet to explain my thinking. As you can see, once it's done and blocked, the grafted seam isn't so much of a big deal . . . and I am getting better at it. Remind me of that, will you please!

Ready! Steady! Have a Go!

I've been agonising over putting the two halves of my Feather and Fan scarf together. I've now had several attempts at the grafting stitch--Kitchener Stitch--with mixed success. My first go I pulled the stitches too tight and made a nasty stiff seam. Here's my second attempt:I've kind of got the idea of making the grafting stitches the same tension as the knitted ones, but as you can see, my flight path is inaccurate in spots. Of course, the real thing will be the same yarn as the knitting, so my inaccuracies will be less obvious--that's a good thing. What you can't see is that stitching the graft has to happen between and around two knitting needles. I don't know how many times I got the yarn looped around one or other of the needles . . . I don't want to know how many times!

Yesterday I took two different approaches to my challenge:

• I rang several of my more experienced, local knitting friends in search of an experienced Kitchener stitcher--no luck. I did have a good catch up on the phone with friends I hadn't spoken with for a while, but it wasn't getting me any closer to the goal of joining up my scarf. I did get a reality check, though: not every knitter does Kitchener stitch.
• Then I decided to take the plunge . . . well, not quite the plunge, but at least I got my feet wet. I had a sample of the feather and fan knitted in Bendigo 2-ply: 40-something stitches, in two halves, and dip dyed like the real thing. I had a go at grafting it together.

The effect of using fine wool and variegated colour cuts both ways: on the one hand, it's really hard to see what I'm doing; on the other hand, it's really hard to see what I've done. That sample is now on my blocking board. It doesn't look too bad. I need my glasses to see where I've made my mistakes. My eyesight isn't that bad. It will do. Now I have to tackle the real thing: 73 stitches in fine hand-spun. I think I'll do it in several shifts, but I will do it.

Options and Temptations

My brain is running on several tracks at the moment:

• I'm still completing my Spinning Certificate requirements;


• I'm dreaming of some weaving I'd like to do;


• I'm planning my next Patchwork by Machine class;


• I'm dyeing a batch of yarns for myself;


• . . . oh, and then there's the housework, but we won't talk about that!

I made a trip to Spotlight yesterday. I do normally try to support the independent local stores, but it was nearly 5 pm on a Saturday and I'd run out of bobbins for measuring and presenting my yarn samples. That's a major task for today, so off I went. The bobbins were only a few dollars for 100 and they had both cardboard and plastic--it's been a while since I've seen the cardboard ones, so I bought a pack of each. A few more dollars for a magnetic seam guide--we were talking about options for accurate stitching in class last week, so here's a chance to try it out. My spending was still under the $10 mark and I was heading for the checkouts when I saw the Quilting Cotton clearance rack . . . uh oh!

1 metre of the large floral fabric, 1 metre of the gold fabric (on the far left) and 30 cm of each of the others. Why? Because they caught my eye, were half price and are a great demonstration of a fabric range with built in colour choices to show my class. And I've decided I don't even need to wash and iron them before I teach on Wednesday night. They will tell their story beautifully just the way they are.

R.I.P.

This is the sort of sewing I usually avoid: I'd call this a RIP--normally it would mean the end of a garment's life; without even the dignity of a decent burial. But these shorts belong to a good friend, whose budget doesn't stretch very far. Somehow I agreed to see what I can do . . .

There's no fabric missing, but the tear goes just across the edge of the pocket. I'll need to reinforce it as well as pulling the torn edges together. I'd initially thought I'd ladder stitch it by hand to start with, but now I'm not sure if I can face that. I think I'll try iron-on-interfacing and machine zig-zag, with a patch underneath. It won't be a work of art, but the shorts will be wearable for the rest of this season . . . and in today's fashion world, it might even be seen as a design feature.

Combing Away

I know I've featured a few of my wicked-looking tools lately. But here's one I'm really starting to love: My English Wool Combs: I've had them for about 18 months, but they've been in the category of things I must get comfortable with and avoid in the meantime. Of course, that was never a good strategy. In the last few weeks I've moved to Plan B: just keep using them until it becomes second nature. That approach is starting to pay off. Today I'm preparing some more Corriedale fleece for worsted spinning. I'm still having to think carefully about what I'm doing, but I'm getting into a routine and I'm loving the look and feel of the rovings.

. . . I should probably explain my terms for those readers who aren't familiar with the worsted spinning process and how it all works, sorry, I can't wait to get back to my combs. If you're interested, you can follow the labels that appear below this post to find the information. Or feel free to comment and ask questions. Like most people newly in love, the only thing I like better than being with my combs, is talking about them!

Glykeria

I had a hairdresser's appointment yesterday. They were running late, so I was sitting, waiting, happily spinning on my drop spindle and enjoying the sense of community in the room--the two clients are old friends, the staff, Anna and Soula, mother and daughter--lots of chatter; a phone call to the hospital to check on the wellbeing of another client and friend--it's a real family business. It later turned out that Anna had quietly synchronised these two appointments as a surprise to her clients.

Then another client came in. She sat next to me on the couch and exploded into excited Greek. Anna and Soula responded in kind. From the intent focus on my spinning and various gestures I figured it was about me and my drop spindle. Eventually Soula managed to send some translation my way, though both the older women seemed to hardly stop for breath. Soula was at the other end of the salon, and her explanations kept colliding with more comments and questions from my new neighbour. Then she rushed out the back door and came back with a bent stick--it was from a rose bush and covered in thorns, but that didn't seem to bother her any. Anna pulled out a reel of sewing cotton and I soon realised I was seeing a demonstration of making a butterfly skein--like the ones I'm used to making on my hand, but bigger.

As things started to calm down just a little, I gathered that this woman had come to Australia from a farm in the Greek mountains. They kept sheep, and spun their own wool. She was terribly excited to see someone spinning and wanted to pass on her tips and experiences. Then she showed me her crocheted handbag, which she had made herself.

I tried to invite her to one of the local spinning groups, so more people could share her experience and excitement, but her lack of English made her suddenly shy. She brightened up when I pulled out my camera and asked her name: Glykeria. Thank you Glykeria, it was a thrill to meet you.

My Patchwork Life

Tonight is the first Patchwork by Machine class at the Neighbourhood House. I taught this course for the first time last year, and the class is encouragingly full. Most of the students are new to the Neighbourhood House, so as well as teaching them a new skill, I'm looking forward to making them welcome and aware of the community around them. I spent a bit of time yesterday preparing fabric for them to practise with in the first lesson. Making a new quilt as we go along with the class seems to be a good way of demonstrating the steps. Then I have a variety of examples to show future students and use for promotion. Yesterday I had a few hours of panic when I couldn't find the two demonstration quilts I made last year. They finally turned up in a box under my big desk. A couple of files of paperwork had been stowed on top of them . . . I have no-one to blame but myself I'm afraid.

I also spent some time verifying that my camera is working just fine. That involved a visit with my friends V & G, their four friendly dogs and a tour of a fantastic vegie garden. I couldn't face another session with the Help! desk though, so that's a task for another day.

My table is still covered with wool in various stages of preparation. I have a fine merino sample on my needles as well as the Feather and Fan project just about finished. My life feels a bit like a patchwork quilt--crazy patchwork I guess, with lots of different colours and textures in unexpected places. I just need to make sure the stitching is secure . . .

Picture This

I spent several hours last night in front of my computer. It was remotely connected to the software provider's help desk in an attempt to solve my camera connection problems. It was a slow frustrating time for me, and at the end I had no solution. Today I have to find a way to check my camera, since it's being blamed for the problem. I still suspect it's a problem with the new software I downloaded.

In any case, I had learned something from my previous experience with the help desk. Instead of sitting in front of the computer expecting to be engrossed by the process, I armed myself with a drop spindle and cashmere-merino top. So here I sat watching an unseen hand somewhere in India controlling my computer desktop, while I occupied my time with my beautiful spindle and fibre. There's some sort of poetic balance in that picture for me.

Sharp Spindle

Here's the photo I couldn't upload this morning--I just found another slot for my camera card on the main computer box. My USB slots are still waiting for their handsome prince, or my call to the relevant help desk, whichever comes first:)Now there's something I wouldn't try to get past Airport Security!

Sleeping Beauty

I've got a photo of the stylus of the charkha wheel I'm practicing on to upload. It's a long metal needle with a point and it's the closest thing I've ever seen to something Sleeping Beauty could prick her finger on. However I have another problem of a more recent technological kind. I upgraded my Computer Security package yesterday and since then the computer's freezing on me and won't recognise my camera. Hopefully it won't take 100 years for the computer to wake-up properly. Does anyone have a technological handsome prince who'd like to come and give my computer a kiss.

Charkha Wheel

Yesterday was the Cotton Spinning workshop at the Guild. It was challenging, but in a fun relaxed kind of way. A small group of students and an experienced, committed teacher--in fact we ended up joking about Evangelism and the process of making converts by the end of the day: she was so keen on our "conversion" to cotton spinning".

I brought home this baby to practice with: It's a book charkha: so called because the box folds into the exact shape and size of a hardback book.

Now, these box charkhas were designed and made for the Indian people to use--it was a deliberate part of Ghandi's push for independence. I was painfully reminded how much thinner and more flexible than me the average Indian probably is. Apart from the challenges of spinning cotton fibres on the little pointed spindle, I found sitting on the floor with my arms and legs in all the right places and my bulges out of the way of the process quite tricky. Perhaps I've finally found a good motivation to lose weight and exercise more--so I can spin cotton on a charkha . . .

The genuiness of the article was dramatically reinforced when I met M for a coffee after class. Of course I pulled out the charkha and opened it up on the table to show my friend what we'd been doing. It immediately caught the attention of one of the waiters. "It's a classic", he said", "my Grandfather used to have one of those!" That made me doubly happy about the wheel. Not only am I learning the real craft as practiced in India by people who spin cotton for a living, but I found an instant connection with a young man who has inevitably experienced prejudice because of his race. Only a momentary spark of connection, but it made me glad.

Time for a Change

Yesterday was a day for doing a few things differently. I still had some stressful meetings to manage and I completed a skein of woollen spinning, but I also cleared the sink and started to prepare a Caesar Salad for myself. I have to admit that by the time evening came, I didn't have the energy to finish it off and I had toast with cheese and ham instead. But the things are there to mix up something special for myself tonight.

I also needed to do something about my watch. The very clear and sensible one I've been wearing was starting to lose time. I guessed it only needed a new battery, but decided to treat myself to something a little different: You can see my new watch is still nice a clear, but it's oversized to the point of making me smile and a little bit more decorative than the one I had. As a bonus, the jewelry shop changed the battery on my old watch as part of the deal. That means I can wear it when I'm doing rough work and spare the scratches on this one. Not that either of them are anything fancy.

Speaking of time, I need to be at the Guild soon for my Cotton Spinning workshop. Spinning those itty bitty short fibres is going to be a challenge, but we've been promised a go at a charka wheel, and I'm always up for something new.

Room to Move

You might have noticed an increasing note of desperation in my references to the Spinning Certificate Folio presentation lately. It's due at the end of the month and, despite working away at it consistently, I was starting to feel a sense of panic that I'm not going to make it in time. Yesterday I noticed myself actively contemplating whether I could find a way to clean the floor and wash the dishes, rather than prepare another skein for my folio. Time to cut myself some slack!I rang the Teaching Convenor and Course Coordinator and explained my situation. I'm keen to finish my folio and earn my certificate, but there are other things in my life that take priority--including eating and sleeping:) They were very understanding and we agreed on an extension. I'm going to hand in the work I've done, including the items of my own work for display on the due date. I'll receive a certificate of participation for that. Then, when I finish the rest of the folio requirements, they will be assessed for my certificate of completion. Huge sigh of relief! Now I can get back to spinning and breathing--both.

Useful Stuff

I've been sorting through boxes of stuff I have stored in the bathroom. Perhaps "stored" is a bit of a euphamism, since the system is rather random, to say the least. A few days ago I was rewarded for my efforts with these: Old film canisters, so what? I used to use them to measure out a washing solution for procion dyes for students in my cotton dyeing workshops, but then I changed the format and didn't think I needed tham any more. More recently I've been starting to learn about Kumihimo--Japanese braiding. To braid on the traditional Marudai you need a set of matched weighted bobbins. The real thing is rather complex to make and rather expensive to buy, so I've been looking for alternatives. Several sources have suggested film cannisters filled with metal washers or coins, but of course film cannisters are now nearly obsolete . . . where to find some? Ah Ha! Now you understand how pleased I was to find this bag of film cannisters amongst my stuff.

Right now I don't have time to do any braiding. I need to focus on getting my spinning up to date, but as soon as that's done, I'd like to reward myself with something completely different. So it's great to be able to set aside some of the equipment I'll need to give Kumihimo a go.

Two Beginnings and No End

I'm knitting a feather and fan lace scarf as one of the items for my Spinning Folio. I really like the scalloped cast-on edge produced by the feather and fan design. On the other hand, I'm not so fond of the wavy cast-off edge--why is that? Anyway, I have a solution . . . or at least the beginnings of a solution: If I knit the scarf in two halves and join it in the middle, that will give me two cast-on edges and no cast-off edge. Right? Yep, the only challenge then is joining the two halves in the middle. There are several options to explore and I've been waiting for a day when I have a clear mind to sort them out. That day had better come soon or I'll run out of time before it all needs to be handed in. I made a first attempt at grafting a sample--using Kitchener stitch--the other day. It looks pretty bad at this stage. I'll have to try again. Meanwhile it's another hot day and I want to get a bit more spinning done before I retreat to the coolest place I can find with my knitting.

A Kilo of Happiness

I've got the house shut up in anticipation of another hot day. I was on the phone when the dogs started to bark and jump at the door. I wasn't expecting any visitors . . . then I remembered the cone of lace weight cashmere-merino yarn I'd ordered from Charly at Ixchel. I managed to get the parcel into the house without letting the dogs out, or too much hot air in--that was quite a feat. Then I carefully opened the parcel to find this: I'm spinning up some angora-merino on my finest drop spindle and I've nearly done 50g. It's a pleasure to spin, but there's no way I'll get to a kilo, which is how much is on this cone. Charly usually sells it in her own unique hand-dyed colour-ways. But this gives me a chance to do my own thing. I love to make my own colours. I'm looking forward to this kilo of happiness going a long way. For now I'm getting joy from just looking at it and imagining the possibilities.

Lace Wing Lamp

My friend A's house is perfectly situated between my place and the Guild. Often on a weekend I will break the trip with a coffee and catch up there--not that it's such a long trip, but it's nice to have two benefits from the one bit of travel. Yesterday was Sunday Spinners at the Guild: a very informal group which provided me with just the gentle motivation I needed to get one more sample done for my folio. On my way home at A's I caught sight of this lovely little lamp on her mantlepiece. It's made from wire and cloth and designed to hold a candle--very simple and effective. It reminded me of the lacewing I photographed last year. At the time I was playing with the idea of lace knitting or crochet. Now I've just added the thought of wire to that little file in my head. The conversation jumped from admiring the lamp to the usefulness of lacewings for keeping down the aphid population . . . and we went out the back to admire A's vegie patch, which is doing really well . . . just one more little bit of beauty to fill my mind.

Happy Shopper

I went to check out the Northside Makers Market yesterday afternoon. In the flurry of getting my folio organised, I nearly forgot that I'd promised myself this outing. I'm glad I remembered! It was just what I needed.

My primary reason for going was to evaluate whether I'd like to join the sellers there. I like what I've seen of their organisation--lots of local promotion and a community focus, with genuine handmade work. What I hadn't expected was to find myself confronted with irresistable items just begging to come home with me.

You'll have to wait for the stories behind my purchases, but I'll just leave you with the pic to tantalise you in the meantime.

Now I find myself in a bit of a quandry: I like the market, I think it might work well with what I'm offering and the location is perfect, but they only publish dates one market at a time and I have several regular Saturday commitments, including a Flax Spinning Workshop on March 13, which is the next market date. I'm just going to have to wait and see how things pan out. Meanwhile, though, I'm a happy shopper and looking forward to sharing the fun and clever things I bought.

Organised?

Yesterday was a good day for spinning. It was cool and I had the whole day at home. I got three samples done--bulky worsted spinning and medium woollen. Both techniques that predictably were quicker than the fine worsted spinning which I'd attempted earlier in the week. Even so, it felt good to tick off three items on my list. I got as far as skeining up and washing the samples and left them to dry overnight.

That's all very well, but this morning I had the task of labelling and presenting the work I'd done yesterday:
Would you believe it's taken me the whole morning? I did have a couple of other samples to paste up and just finding all the stuff I need and a bit of space on the table was quite a task in itself, but still, I'd hoped to be further along by now. On the other hand I've learned my lesson and don't want to be repeating work because I failed to get it organised properly. OK, the clock's just about to tick over to midday, I have a fair bit of the afternoon set aside for spinning. I think I can manage to stay organised and keep making progress . . . I think I can . . . I think I can . . .

Citrus Gradation

I can see a pattern developing here.

I've just finished another skein of silk ribbon for my friend D: This one is gradations of "citrus" orange, with a touch of "rust" at one end.

I'd done a batch of dyeing with skeins of wool and there was "just a bit of colour left in the pot". I couldn't let that bit of colour go to waste, so I skeined off a dozen or so metres of silk ribbon. The silk is so greedy for colour that it grabs anything that's left in the water--perfect. I dangled about 2/3 of the skein in the pot and hooked the end over one of the pot's handles; heat, add vinegar and leave it overnight. Now I had scarcely any colour in the pot and a short white section of ribbon. Still relying on the silk's capacity to absorb colour, I dropped the rest of the skein in the pot, reheated and again left it overnight. The result was a subtle gradation of orange across the skein: good, but I thought I could do better; so I rearranged the skein--using a metal S-hook this time to control the length--added a bit of the "rust" colour and went through the routine again. You can see the result in the pic. I'm pleased with it, but guess what? Yep, I've now got " just a bit of colour left in the pot"! Is it time to skein off some more silk ribbon?

Picker Power

I dropped in to the Guild Rooms earlier this week to pay for this year's spinning workshops. It was only a few days after I'd posted about my flicker and its capacity to do a little damage to my fingers. Would you believe, one of the women just happened to have the picker out. Here it is: Compared to this, the flicker is mild and sensitive! Those massive prongs are set onto a curved piece of timber which rocks to and fro from a pivot point at the top of the machine--like a cradle with big teeth! The bench at the front is where the operator sits and there is a timber guard to help keep your fingers away from the danger zone. That's important, believe me. The processed fleece is pushed out at the other end.

I've used the picker a few times and have dreams of owning a small version to use at home--when I have more room for spinning equipment . . . It's great for opening out a fleece which isn't in great shape. It also helps clear out dirt and vegetable matter. Another way I've used it is to roughly mix fleece of different colours. Apart from learning to keep my fingers away from those teeth, my other major learning was about the sheer muscle power needed to make it go. The only way this thing moves is if you push it, and after a while that becomes a significant effort.

Nothing so strenuous on my agenda today. I have fleece soaking which needs to be rinsed, and put out to dry, and I've been sitting in front of my fan knitting for an hour or so. I'm very much looking forward to the forecast cooler day tomorrow.

Next Please

It's a bit of a production line with fleece here at the moment. I've just put a couple of hundred grams of Corriedale fleece to soak in the laundry tub:If I drain it off this evening, then add the soap and soak it again overnight it will be ready to rinse tomorrow morning. That gives me 24 hours for it to dry before Friday, when I hope to have a good spinning day--forecast for 21 degrees and no appointments at this stage. As soon as the laundry tub's free I've got some different fleeces waiting for their turn.

Meanwhile the merino sample I finished yesterday is dry; I have about 80g of English Leicester wool ready to flick out and there's another Corriedale sample on my needles--it's a swatch I didn't do at the time I did the spinning.

Today's not much of a day for spinning. It's quite hot already and in any case I need to head out in just over half an hour. Perhaps I'll have time to finish knitting that swatch.

Guard Dog

I've been spending a lot of time at my spinning wheel lately. On days like today I'm trying to get a couple of hours in before it gets too warm to handle the fleece. This morning I was determined to finish my fine merino sample. It's done! I've just put it to soak in a bucket of warm water.

While I was spinning, I was watching my dog, Macc, on his cushion near the window. He's reliably located within a couple of metres of where I am. When I'm spinning, that's easy: he can lie in his favourite spot. When I'm in working in the sewing room, he'll take up a position in the light court outside or in the hallway--sometimes in the sewing room itself. He's less consipicuous then, except that as soon as I move away I can hear the sound of his paws clicking on the bamboo floor as he corrects his position . . . then he'll settle again within the 2 metre radius of where I am.

This morning I was sure he was asleep --except for one tell-tale ear half raised in anticipation of any movement. I could see him snuffling and twitching in his doggy "dreams", with his nose tucked under one paw. He looked so cute that I stopped spinning and reached for my camera. It was on the table beside me. All I had to do was switch it on, but that little whirring noise was enough. By the time I turned back to him, I got this look: Not asleep really! Now he's just come in to check on me at the computer.

My other dog is quite different. She takes her responsibilities equally seriously, but they are more based around woofing at anyone who enters her line of sight, not so much on where I am and what I'm doing. Now that I'm about to sign off this blog entry and go check on my yarn in the kitchen, I'm anticipating Macc's next move. How many seconds before he's right beside me again?

Update

The Finn-cashmere yarn which I dip-dyed in layers a few weeks ago has moved on to the next stage:Here's my sample of the Feather and Fan lace design I'm planning to use. The close-up shot emphasises the cashmere halo, whereas it looks nice and lacy from a bit more of a distance. I'm supposed to be heading out the door already, so I won't upload another pic now.